Genre: Crime, Drama, Family, Romance, Humor

Rating: M for violence, language and sexual situations

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters featured on the show Castle, they belong to the creator of the show, ABC, and the others who do own them.

A/N #1: Lyrics in this chapter are again from Maxwell's Silver Hammer by The Beatles, from their album Abbey Road, so I don't own them, lol.

A/N #2: I had been wondering at the reactions I would get for the last chapter, so getting each review and reading them made me very happy, so want to get straight to the thank yous I need to give out for them! dhurley (It was nice to see what you thought of the chapter, and that you didn't expect it. Also glad you like the way this story is going, that's always great to hear! Not surprised that you're wondering about Lanie and Esposito's reactions to Castle and Beckett being together, I get that a lot, lol. But happy you want to read some more, and now you can!), life's a mystery (Really great to see you too enjoyed the chapter all together. And so nice reading that you liked how the bit at the restaurant went, I was a little unsure of what readers would think of that, lol, so that was awesome to read in your review. Also I had the same reaction to what you said about the end of the chapter; that too I'd been wondering what readers would think of it, so really happy that you thought it was hot, it's what I was aiming for!), PKteach (I was happy to see you enjoyed the chapter. And of course was great that you want to read more to see what happens next, now you can!), Beckett-Castle4ever (Happy to see that you enjoyed the last chapter so much. And not surprised you want to see what Esposito and Lanie will say to Castle and Beckett. Really glad you thought the dinner they had after was sweet. Definitely loved seeing your reaction to their night, lol, very happy you liked the love scene there!), vetgirlmx (I wasn't too surprised that you weren't sure they could fool Lanie, also that you're hoping the way they acted will stop her pressuring them. Yet again, so glad another reader liked their dinner on the roof. Same to the fact that you liked the telescope, thought that was a good thing to have there, since as you said, they were on the roof so it was a good spot. Oh, and great you want to see them using that telescope with Julia! Very pleased to see that I was able to do it again, writing their personalities when they're thinking, since I was hoping to do that again! And glad that you want to read more, now you can of course!) and sammysgirl78 (Really pleased to see how much you enjoyed the chapter of course. Not surprised that you too want to see how things go with Lanie and Esposito the next day. Also glad to see your reaction to the dinner on the roof was a positive one and that you liked how it went. Happy that you liked the telescope bit, and yeah, sure Julia will love it, lol. Thanks for mentioning the very beginning of the chapter, so glad that you enjoyed the conversation between Lanie, Beckett and Julia. And not too surprised you liked that Julia called Beckett and Castle to say goodnight. Glad you noticed too how good Julia is at keeping the secret! And of course, was nice seeing that you want to read the next chapter, now you don't need to wait anymore to read more!). So loved getting everything I did for the last chapter and reading the feedback, and I appreciate the time taken to write those reviews!

Upon His Head

Shifting back slightly, Beckett's eyes opened when she felt the lack of warmth behind her, and could smell coffee. Raising her head and turning it to look over her shoulder, she saw her fiancé was walking into the room with two mugs of coffee. "You're up early," she commented, sitting up and holding the bed sheet against her breasts.

"Not for that long," Castle said simply, setting the still hot drinks on his nightstand. He sat on the side of the bed and kissed her gently before they deepened the kiss carefully at the same time.

Once that had parted, Beckett sighed a little and said, "Is your mom back?"

"No, so she did stay over," Castle said, not surprised when she kissed him again. When they parted he was surprised when she moved away from him and then got off the bed. He stood and leaned against the wall next to his nightstand to give her a little privacy, knowing she likely wouldn't really want to fool around that morning. He looked out the window then, and jerked slightly when he felt her arms wrapping around him from behind to hug him briefly. He looked back and watched as she came around to him saying, "And again you're naked underneath your clothes."

Frowning slightly at that, Beckett said, "We don't really have much time, and I don't want to rush through it," watching him look over her body which was obviously defined underneath the deep blue nightgown she'd slipped on since it was easier to wear though it clung to her.

"I don't either," Castle said simply. "But if things developed tonight…"

"Depends," Beckett said, shaking her head. "Mainly on you and that word develop. We'll need to see of course."

"Of course," Castle commented, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close before they kissed deeply. When they slowly parted he pressed his cheek to the top of her head to resist the easy temptation of the warmth of her body through the blue fabric, and it was then he caught sight of something moving.

"What is it?" Beckett asked, since his head had lifted up off her. She turned around and looked to the building across the street, seeing the couple they'd caught having sex before. "Again?" she sighed, about to leave when what she saw next made her sigh catch in her throat and freeze in place.

In the window in the neighboring building, the woman was finishing opening the curtains, the full swell of her abdomen obvious in her robe. The man came up behind her then, and slipped his hands underneath the deep red fabric before they began to kiss.

Turning to the bed, Beckett walked around Castle, trying to understand the sudden emotions that had raced through her at the sight of the expecting couple. She went around to her side of the bed, picking up her dress from the night before, unable to meet the eyes of her fiancé, almost afraid of what she would see in the blue depths if she chanced even the quickest look in his direction.

Castle had less of a struggle than Beckett, as he was already aware of what he'd felt watching the two across the street. But there was some fear in him as well, as he wasn't sure what she would say if he told her the sudden jealousy that had made his heart constrict in its intensity seeing how happy the couple obviously were, how in love they obviously were, and what that love between them had created. Didn't know if she would treat that news with joy; wanting the same; or trepidation. He finally gathered his courage and taking a deep breath, opened his mouth to speak to her, to tell her something he'd toyed with in his mind on and off until it had become a desire he was too scared to speak lest she destroy that chance he'd spoken of to her once, long ago when they were still relatively new with one another.

Glancing up at Castle, Beckett could see he was about to speak when her phone suddenly let off a short ring, to let her know she'd gotten a text message. "It's, probably Lanie," she said slowly, trying to give him a chance to speak. But when he just nodded and grabbed the mugs of coffee off his nightstand, she looked down at her phone and read the message.

"Is it her?" Castle asked, sitting on the end of the bed next to her as he handed her her mug.

"It is," Beckett said before reading the message. "Looked up the meaning of that second song, and I owe you an apology. Just thought you would be happy, please don't be angry at me. Call me when you can after work."

"Second song?" Castle asked in confusion after sipping at his coffee.

"When she came into my apartment, I was playing The Art of Dying," Beckett said, smiling when he did; since it was one of his favorite songs after they'd listened to it together to vet it for their daughter. She took his hand after setting aside her phone, and squeezing it said, "And she got a little worried, asking me if I was considering committing suicide."

"To what, avoid the date?" Castle asked.

"I think the lyrics were a shock," Beckett said with a sigh. "But then I switched to Wah-Wah…"

"Oh," Castle said in understanding. "Wow, you're lucky she wasn't aware of the meaning of the song beforehand. Well, maybe that will have gotten the point across a lot better and she'll stop for now."

"We'll see," Beckett said, setting aside her mug after a few sips. She let Castle pull her onto his lap then, wrapping her arms around him almost as if they'd discussed him doing that. She took his kiss, and was quick to respond as he coaxed her tongue through his lips. They were embroiled in that for a little longer before parting to breathe quickly. She was leaning into him to kiss him again, feeling his hands clutching desperately at the small of her back, when her phone began to ring next to them. Pulling away with a groan, she looked down at the phone with him saying, "If that's Lanie…" before trailing off when she saw it was Celia's mother.

"She's nervous," Castle and Beckett said at the same time. Smiling as she looked at him questioningly, he helped her to the top of the bed where he sat next to her, leaning against the headboard as she answered the phone.

"Hey Anita, everything okay?" Beckett asked, the phone on speaker.

"Oh just fine, but our daughters are in a state of agitation about reciting the alphabet," the woman said. "I think Julia could benefit if she spoke with her mom."

"I think so too, let me talk to her," Beckett replied. She turned on the screen and wasn't surprised when Julia appeared; looking worried as she bit at her lower lip. "Morning sweetie," she said, checking the time to make sure it wasn't way too early for the little girl to be up.

"Morning Mommy, Castle," Julia replied, waving a little. "I'm scared to talk today."

"Well, you shouldn't really worry that much," Castle said. "I know you'll remember the alphabet, you know it pretty well already."

"But what if I don't speak I'm so scared?" Julia asked.

"Then ask Mrs. Clayton if it's okay to close your eyes to help you remember," Beckett suggested.

"Oh, think she will?" Julia asked, looking pleased at the idea.

"I think so," Castle said. "And you'll do fine sweetheart, we know you will."

"I'll try," Julia said, sighing. "Do you know what my surprise will be Mommy?" she then asked, looking at her mother on the screen.

"Not yet, I'll see once we get to work. For now though, you better get going and eat breakfast," Beckett said. "And we'll see you later. Have fun at school."

"Yeah, we'll want to see your graduation gown if they give it to you today," Castle said.

Smiling, Julia nodded and then said, "I'll show. And I gotta go tell Celia we have to ask Mrs. Clayton that. Bye!"

Beckett and Castle barely had the chance to tell Julia goodbye before the screen went dark, and she turned off her phone before turning to look at her fiancé. She was going to speak when she saw the look in his eyes and she bit her lower lip a little hard, trying to figure out why her heart had begun to suddenly beat furiously.

Looking into her eyes, Castle took a deep breath, and leaned down, closing the gap between them before he kissed her. As opposed to before when he'd been sitting on the edge of the bed, that one was gentler, and he was soon pulling back to kiss the side of her neck. "Kate, we-" he started to say; unaware that his fiancée had closed her eyes tightly as he'd begun to speak; bracing herself. But before he could get more than two words said, Beckett's phone made its text notification ring again, and he jerked back at the shock of it. "Lanie?" he asked, pushing away his anger at the interruption. As she was reading the message he took the interruption as a sign, and tried to forget what he'd been about to say.

"No," Beckett said, glancing up at him briefly and seeing he seemed not to care he'd been interrupted. "It's from Ryan; he went over the case as much as he could, but nothing. And there haven't been any new vics."

"So I'm wondering if he's gone," Castle said. "No sign of Mayes anywhere?"

"Not that he can find, of course, Mayes could have left the city," Beckett said. "If he was here. As for Wilder, no, no sign," she said as Ryan sent her a second text.

"So where do we go from here?" Castle asked, looking at her.

Leaning over to kiss him, Beckett let that linger for as long as she possibly could before she leaned back and nuzzled his nose with hers before he kissed her briefly. "Now we need to head into work, and see what we can do with what we have," she said. "And I'll probably have to make some phone calls."

Nodding, Castle watched as she got off the bed and disappeared into the bathroom. When the door was closed, he slumped against the headboard; only for a brief moment before he got up, sliding across the bed to his closet, resisting the urge to look to his left as he focused his mind back on their case, suddenly eager to be done with it though he could use the distraction of the investigation.

"Morning Espo, Ryan," Beckett said, walking to her desk. She nearly smiled when she saw Esposito was glancing at her out of the corner of his eye warily, Ryan glancing at his partner. "I hope you and Lanie had a great night at Le Circe, but also you got some rest because we need to try and find Mayes and Wilder before they disappear from the city; if they haven't already."

"Yeah, they might be waiting for the heat to die down before they try that," Esposito said, walking up to her with a file in his hand. "Look, Beckett, Lanie and-"

Holding up her hand, Beckett took the file saying, "I texted her earlier before I left my place. I'm a little angry she did that, but I have to laugh at the fact you two thought you could hide at Le Circe when there's nothing to hide behind besides the menus."

"And you didn't even use those," a voice said behind the two. Castle glanced at his fiancée before saying, "Plus, Lanie's forgetting since we work together we couldn't really date if we'd wanted to."

"I tried to remind her, but she pointed out that you're not a cop and not officially with the NYPD bro," Esposito said as Beckett was looking at the file. "So that got to us last night, Ryan got them."

"What's he doing?" Beckett asked. "City Hall?"

"Yeah, they should have their site up in about ten minutes," Ryan called from his desk, having heard them. "Until then, there's the police report of the Mayes family murder."

"Mind if I read over your shoulder?" Castle asked Beckett.

"If you promise not to breathe in my ear," she replied. She wasn't surprised when he quickly stood behind her, looking down at the report. "The autopsy report got to Lanie?" she asked Esposito, seeing that it wasn't with the file.

"Yeah, for some reason they split it up," Ryan answered for him as he walked up to them. "I have the number of the sheriff that investigated the case, if you need to contact him."

"So they were found here in the family room," Beckett said absently, looking at the pictures of the crime scene.

"A lot of blood," Castle commented. "I really wonder what Lanie's going to-"

"Looks like you'll find out," Beckett said when the phone on her desk began to ring. She handed the file to Castle and answered saying, "Lanie, hold on, we all need to hear this."

"Wait, I wanted-" the doctor started to say.

"Later, I promise," Beckett said, knowing she wanted to apologize again. "They said you got the autopsy report on the Mayes family. Let us know what you were able to find."

"They were killed by your killer," Lanie said simply.

"What, no grand explanation of the wounds? Just jumped right in with it?" Castle said.

"Beckett sounds like she's in a hurry," Lanie said. "But yes, they were struck with the silver hammer. And hard too."

"Anything else besides that?" Beckett asked.

"Chloroform, in their lungs," Lanie said.

"So he knocked them out, and he and Wilder dragged them here to the middle of the family room and killed them," Castle said, holding up the picture of the whole room with the bodies of the four family members in the center of pools of blood.

"Okay, Lanie, anything else because I need to talk to Sheriff… Harrison," Beckett said, looking at her fiancé who shrugged in response.

"Nothing else, no signs of struggle, so it's was pretty simple. They were knocked out, laid on their abdomens and struck from behind repeatedly," the doctor said.

"Thank you," Beckett said. She quickly said goodbye to her friend; promising to talk to her later; and she sat down to talk with the sheriff. "This is Detective Beckett with the NYPD… yes, Sheriff Harrison is expecting me? Great, I'll hold." Covering the mouthpiece of her phone, she said to Ryan, "Look into the sheriff, and then I'd like you Espo," she told him, turning to him. "To look into the Mayes family, the four that were killed."

Watching the boys head back to their desks, Castle turned to Beckett as she began to talk to the man on the other end. Since he still had the file in his hand, he flipped through the rest of the crime scene pictures, and then noticed something strange. He opened his mouth to speak, but saw his fiancée was looking at her computer screen, so he held back, deciding what he had to say could wait.

"Yes, well, it was a terrible tragedy for the doc," Sheriff Harrison was saying to Beckett.

"How so?" she asked, the man having just told her about the crime scene and the subsequent investigation.

"Well, horrible he was killed of course, but he'd had nothing but tragedy since his son and son's girlfriend died," the sheriff replied. "And he was lucky he didn't need to do the autopsy on both."

"Auto- he was the ME," Beckett stated. When sheriff replied in the affirmative, she said, "I'm wondering Sheriff, what happened to the girlfriend's body, we were told it was sent to her family-"

"Yup, that'd be the Mayes, she and Al were living there at the time," Harrison replied.

"And no one stood out in the death of the family?" Beckett asked to make sure, looking at Castle, who looked to be growing impatient. "Okay, thank you for speaking to me Sheriff Harrison, I appreciate your help." She literally slammed the phone down and as soon as she did, she and her fiancé said at the same time, "She faked her death." She looked a little confused and in realization said, "How did you… you saw the urns."

"You mean one urn and a lack of a second one," Castle said, putting the picture he'd taken from the pile in front of her on the desk. "Noticed this, and if you magnify it, you can see the letters A, Q, M. I'm assuming his middle name started with a q?"

"Quinn," Beckett replied, holding his phone which he had on the magnification app. "So they didn't take his ashes to the Gulf. Alright, Ryan, Espo-" she started to say.

"Family's clear," Esposito said.

"So is Sheriff Harrison," Ryan said quickly.

"Then I want us to put everything into Wilder, but start searching with that last name in Arkansas," Beckett told them. "I'll look here into any records of anything at City Hall or a record under that name. We'll use Pierce if we have to."

Watching as she searched the name Rosalyn Pierce first, Castle wasn't too surprised when nothing came up, knowing she'd guessed that would happen and had just wanted to make sure. But when she substituted Wilder as the last name he said, "Look, a wedding… she was married."

"To…" Beckett started to say.

"Detective Beckett," LT called suddenly. "Dispatch just got a call from the building where your second to last victim lived."

"Did they say where and what number," Beckett asked as she stood; Castle, Ryan and Esposito doing the same just after her.

"His apartment and the number of the land line in that apartment," LT said.

Turning to her phone as Esposito got to his to call backup to the building, Beckett called the number she had for the apartment of their fourth vic. She put it on speaker and looked over at Ryan who was nodding as someone picked it up on the other end. "Ms. Wilder-" she started to say.

"No, this is Jerry," a gravely, male sounding voice growled to her. "You must be the P.C. ma'am."

"I am, you contacted us," Beckett replied. "What do you want?"

"I did not contact you, it was her, my wife," the voice said angrily. "Told her I need to keep going, but she wants me to stop."

"Why don't you let me talk to your wife?" Beckett asked, trying to confirm something she'd suspected.

"No, if you want me, you gotta come get me," the voice taunted with a harsh laugh before there was the sharp click and dial tone of the phone being hung up.

"It's Rosalyn Wilder, though I think I was just talking to her husband," Beckett said as the men looked at her. "Joey Richman."

"Detective," the leader of the SWAT team that was at the floor of the building where the second to last vic had lived said as Beckett approached him. "We had shots fired at your backup, so we took point here."

"Is there a negotiator?" Beckett asked, by herself with Castle as Esposito and Ryan were both talking with the people on the floor who'd been evacuated from their apartments after she'd called for more than just the backup that Esposito had ordered to the building.

"Unfortunately no, we managed to talk to him, and-" the man said.

"Her, that's a woman," Beckett said.

"But…" the man said slowly in confusion.

"She's suffering from multiple personality disorder," Castle said; Beckett having told him her theory as they'd driven to the building.

"I researched it in college, I might be able to speak with her," Beckett then said. "Has she made any demands?"

"One, and I don't know how the hell to fulfill it," the man replied. When Castle and Beckett looked at him questioningly he said simply, "He's, she's asking for a P.C. 31."

Taking in a deep breath, Beckett paused then and said, "That would be me," glancing at Castle. "I have those numbers on my badge, in that order; she might have looked into me and my partners. And she called me P.C. over the phone."

"Well, she wants you; if it is you Detective Beckett; to go in there with no weapons, not even backup," the man, whose nametag they saw read Robbins, said. "I can't let you do that- Detective," he continued as Beckett opened her holster and handed her gun to Castle.

"Kate-" Castle began as she knelt down to get her backup piece out of her boot holster. "You can't be serious."

"I'm serious," Beckett said as she handed the gun to him.

"What the hell are you doing?" Esposito said suddenly as he and Ryan approached, seeing her weapons in Castle's hands; the writer looking bewildered.

"Going to negotiate with our killer," Beckett said shortly. She wasn't all that surprised when the three men began to talk at once and she waited for them to stop before she finally almost yelled, "Enough," at them to get their attention. "Do you have a wire Sergeant?" she asked the man.

"Yeah, do you want a piece to communicate with us," Robbins said, motioning to a member of his team.

"No, just have the wire recording. If I get her to relinquish her gun to me and surrender, the DA will need her confession; and her husband's," Beckett said simply. "If they both show up."

"Beckett, you can't do this, Julia-" Ryan said, Esposito echoing him before they were interrupted.

"Enough guys, why don't you two contact Gates, she's going to need to know what's going on," Beckett said. She was relieved when Ryan led Esposito away, and she turned to Castle but couldn't speak before the SWAT team member came over with a wire, helping her put it on. Once he was gone she pulled her fiancé into an empty apartment before they turned the wire on and said, "I'll be fine."

"How do you know that?" Castle asked. "You need to come home; I'm not going to spend my first Father's Day with Julia without you."

"Believe me; I want celebrate it with you both too. Just let me do this Castle, I need to bring her in before she loses control of him completely," Beckett said. She wasn't surprised when he hesitated for a moment, but finally nodded and reached out to him and squeezed his hand briefly mouthing the words, I love you.

Castle squeezed her hand back before she could let go of him, and mouthed, I love you too, before finally he released her and watched her walk out of the apartment before he paused a moment and followed. He watched her walk to Robbins and the negotiator, and they spoke briefly before she went to the end of the hall, fifty feet down, and nodded when she looked back at him, knowing with her gaze that she was telling him she needed to know he would be there for their daughter if anything happened to her. He only hoped that his look was telling her he would do whatever it took to make sure she was leaving that building with him so they could go home to Julia together. The slight smile that turned up the corners of her lips was an affirmation of her understanding, and turning back in front of her once SWAT had cleared the hall; she turned the corner, and was gone.

Walking past the opened doors of apartments as she headed to the seventh door down, Beckett felt a strange sense of being isolated, though she couldn't forget that back around the corner the hall was full of people. She reached the slightly closed door that had belonged to Sunderland, and before she got too close she called out, "Rosalyn?" wondering who would be answering her.

"Are you the Detective, Jerry talked to?" a woman's voice called from behind the door, though it was still gravelly.

"I am, is it alright if I come inside?" Beckett asked. She saw the door open, and she stepped inside, quick to turn towards the back of the door as the killer closed it behind them. "Do you need to close it?" she asked carefully.

Looking at it, Wilder nodded and pulled it open, but not all the way before she turned to the couch that her husband had moved to face the door. "You can sit," she said.

"She's in there?" Esposito asked Castle in a low voice as he came into the apartment where SWAT was monitoring the wire recording.

"She is," Castle said with a slight frown. "How'd Gates take it?"

"She was a little angry Beckett's taking the risk," Ryan said, having come up behind them.

"A little, she might chew Beckett out when she gets back to the Precinct," Esposito scoffed.

"Guys, keep it down, we're having a hard time hearing her," Robbins said to them.

Castle closed his mouth; having been about to reply to Esposito, when he heard Beckett saying, "So you wanted to talk to me, is it about Jerry?"

Her gaze on the gun in her hands, Wilder said, "We did this, he's gone because of him," her head jerking to a picture of Sunderland with his parents on the wall.

"Because the band broke up?" Beckett asked carefully.

"He was great, he was an amazing Lennon, but Sunderland and Porter… they decided enough was enough. And Jerry back then, back then…" Wilder started to say before her hand holding the gun began to shake.

"Rosalyn," Beckett said sharply. "Rosalyn why did you and Jerry get married."

"What the hell-" Robbins said as Castle nearly shoved past him to get closer to the recorder.

Breathing out heavily a few times, Wilder opened her eyes and said, "Because I loved him, but we were married before the band split up. We came here on a weekend trip and decided we couldn't fight what we felt. So we got married. But when the band broke up… Jerry couldn't get another job, and I was supporting us. And he… gave up." She sat back up, having been leaning to the side in her moment of a near trance-like state, and said, "I found him; he cut his wrists and left me a note, telling me we couldn't hide things from my parents anymore. I needed to be with someone they approved of, someone who could support me and our family." Tears started streaming down the young woman's cheeks as she said, "We were going to start a family, move to a house, and spend the rest of our lives together. But Sunderland killed those dreams… so Jerry had to kill him."

"And everyone else?" Beckett asked.

Laughing hollowly; and sending a chill down Beckett's back at the sound at the same time; Wilder seemed to struggle for a moment before saying, "That damn song was all Sunderland loved, named the band after it, would play it every fucking second," her voice turning into a growl. "Jerry hated it, and that was what we could do. Kill Sunderland and his lover."

"He's there isn't he?" Beckett asked gently as the woman wiped her tears away furiously. "Trying to take over again. Do you let him?"

"He's my husband, I need to," Wilder said, looking surprised Beckett had even asked that. "He died because of Sunderland, and I am all alone because of him too. This is the only way I can have Jerry with me. I can't let him go."

"But you have to understand that he's killed three innocent people," Beckett told her, being careful in her tone as she didn't want the woman to snap and bring the personality she thought was her dead husband about.

"He got away from me then, I was shocked at what he'd done. Sam tried to tell him that what he'd done was wrong, but Jerry said they had to die, they loved the new band more than people had loved our band," Wilder said.

"Who the hell is Sam?" Esposito said.

"Likely another personality," Castle said. "The part of her consciousness that's feeling guilty for what she's doing."

"Then let us help Sam out," Beckett said; having guessed the same as Castle though she had no way of knowing what they'd been talking about. "Give me your gun alright, and we can help Sam out, whatever he needs."

Looking into Beckett's eyes, Wilder shook her head and said, "You'll take Jerry away from me, and I can't go through that again. I love him so much I almost killed myself when I found him. Haven't you ever loved anyone so much you could follow them if they died, just so you knew you'd have the chance to be together somewhere else again? To love him again?"

"He won't be taken away," Beckett said, standing up carefully, but avoiding answering her, though she felt a slight clench in her chest as she found she knew what she would say to that if she could. She walked over to the woman and knelt in front of her, keeping eye contact with her the entire time. "But we'll help Jerry out too, and you, you'll-"

Eyes turning to the monitor as the sound of a woman singing started on the other end; interrupting Beckett; Castle glanced at Ryan and Esposito as his body felt like it'd been plunged in ice as they all listened to the lyrics.

P.C. Thirty-one said, "We've got dirty one"

Maxwell stands alone

Opening her eyes, Wilder smiled and then slumped on the couch, making Beckett start to stand up. But before she could take a step forward, the woman was sitting up, and her grey eyes were suddenly different. Beckett started to step back as Wilder raised the gun to her when the voice of Jerry came out.

"Maxwell stands alone, Detective," he told her. With that, he pulled the trigger, Beckett yelling, "No!"

"Shots fired! We need a full breech!" Robbins yelled to his SWAT team. "He, hey!" he said when Castle was suddenly running out of the apartment before anyone could move, Esposito and Ryan following him.

"Castle, you-" Esposito started to say when the writer stopped at the doorway, peered in and almost seemed to jump inside.

His head shooting back and forth as he saw the body on the couch, Castle saw his fiancée in the kitchen, running water and rubbing at her face a little frantically. "She's dead," he said, glancing at Wilder, who'd shot herself in the temple.

"Jerry's dead, she had no other choice but to follow him," Beckett said, taking the paper towel Castle had gotten for her.

"You're okay?" he asked her in a low tone of voice as SWAT was leaving to secure the floor and Esposito and Ryan were making phone calls.

"Yeah, just, her blood was on me," Beckett said, touching her face.

"You got it," Castle said gently. "We should go; Gates would want them to take care of everything from here."

Nodding, as she knew he was right, Beckett went to the boys and talked to them quickly before she joined her fiancé in the hall. As they walked down it; since they were alone for the moment; she said, "You should have let SWAT come in first. What if she'd shot me?"

Shaking his head, Castle said simply, "I knew she was fighting with all three of her personalities, and since Jerry knew he was caught singing what he did, I figured it'd either be suicide by cop, or just suicide. Here."

Beckett took her weapons then and holstered both before she said, "At least things are over but… what a waste," as she took her phone out of her pocket. "Mr. Porter? Yes, this is Detective Beckett. I'm calling to let you know that the killer has been found and I'll be taking the protective detail off your place. But I'd like to speak with you back at my station, so I'll ask you to go with the officer standing guard once I speak to him. There are some things that my partner and I need to discuss with you."

"Here," Castle said to Beckett as she was beginning to take some of the pictures down from the murder board. When she turned to him he held out the cup of coffee in his hand and when she took it said, "So looks like you're off the hook."

"She'll call me in when she gets the chance," Beckett said simply, shrugging her shoulders. "Thank you," she said quickly before she took a sip. "So why are you still here? Once Ryan and Espo get back we're going to get started on the paperwork."

"I was going to wait and sign the papers now," Castle said. "And-"

"Detective Beckett?" Gates said from her office.

"I'll wait then," Castle said quickly before he sat next to her desk.

Beckett set her cup down before going to the captain's office, standing in front of the desk as Gates closed the door. "Sir-" she began.

Holding her hand up, Gates walked around her desk and sat down saying, "I was informed what happened to you inside the apartment of your fourth victim. And I'm a little surprised at the risk you took."

"I thought it was necessary, and it's what Wilder wanted," Beckett said.

"And you assumed you'd be able to talk to a woman with multiple personality disorder," Gates said.

"My final for my psychology class in college was a report on a mental disorder. I was given that and I spoke with three psychologists that specialized in it, and was also able to see sessions they had with former patients at a mental institute," Beckett said. "I was aware of what I needed not to say to her. But she was fighting against the personalities; I think she was aware there was only one way to stop the struggle she was having with the other two personalities that were more prominent with her."

"I heard it was this man called Jerry; her husband; that supposedly pulled the trigger," Gates commented.

"She let him," Beckett said simply. She shrugged slightly when Gates looked at her and said, "I can't explain it any better than guessing Wilder couldn't go onto medication and possibly lose her husband again, and she allowed him to take over as it was easier that way. That personality knew he was caught so…"

"So do we blame Jerry for her appearance, and going out with the first vic?" Gates said.

Nodding, Beckett said, "That date was never supposed to go any further than it did. And she was convincing as a man once she'd cut her hair. Or when Jerry did. It also made her look like Alfred Mayes, who she used to be able to fake her own death and start trying to see if she could get revenge. I would guess that she killed the Mayes family because they discovered what she was going to do, or she was afraid they were. Or he did… I can't really tell you what was going on with the personalities beyond the past few days."

"Alright, I'll have to ask you not to risk your life like that again," Gates said. "I can't have one of my detectives walking into an apartment with an armed suspect with nothing to protect them but their vest."

"I'll try not to sir, the situation warranted me doing that though," Beckett said seriously.

Gates nodded once in agreement, and then said, "And off the record, from one mother to another, I'm glad for your daughter's sake that you came out of things alright."

"Yes sir," Beckett said, smiling briefly. She left the room after the captain put on her glasses, and went back to the murder board, seeing Ryan and Esposito were at their desks, starting on the paperwork.

"Did she scold you?" Ryan commented as she walked by.

"No, just wanted me to wrap things up," Beckett said simply.

"What did Porter have to say?" Esposito asked.

"Just in shock hearing his former band mate was married to the killer. None of them knew she had that problem," Beckett said. "I looked into her medical history, and Wilder was never diagnosed with the disorder, so it went untreated. But the trigger was her second husband's suicide, finding him brought him to her, though I get the feeling that personality became him and was somebody else in the first place."

"So are we all set?" Castle asked, walking up to them then.

"He just wants to get out of here," Esposito said, smirking at him.

"Why not? Tomorrow's Friday, you're not working are you?" Castle directed to Beckett.

"No, Julia's graduating remember. Your mom said she was going to go," she said to him.

"Great, I guess I will too, if I'm not too busy," Castle said. "Okay, so you don't need me here I'm going to guess?"

"Just to sign this," Ryan said, motioning him to his desk. "Here, here, and here. Okay, thanks, you're done," he said as Castle signed quickly.

"Wait, one thing, a drink for the road, excuse me," Castle said quickly, going over to the break room.

"I should get another coffee," Beckett said, glancing at her watch before realizing she could tell her fiancé her plan she'd thought of the day before. "Just give me the paperwork I need to fill out; I'll stay late if I need to, so I don't have to come in in the end tomorrow." When Ryan nodded to that, she went to the break room after grabbing her cup of coffee and when she walked inside, saw that Castle was leaning against the counter. "So the to go was bull?" she teased him.

"Language Detective Beckett, you're a mother," he said simply as he watched her pour out the cold coffee into the sink. He took the mug from her and started another cup as he said, "What is it?"

"How… okay, I thought yesterday that you could pick Julia up from school, remember, she got out early today and the dance class is finishing in five minutes," Beckett told him, not too surprised he'd remembered the surprise she had talked about for their daughter.

"I haven't had the chance to do that by myself," Castle said slowly. "Are you sure?"

"I am, by the time you get to the school, most of the kids will be gone, and if anyone recognizes you, just… make something up. You always say you're good at improv," Beckett said simply.

"Not that kind of improv, the kind when we're alone," Castle said, raising and lowering his eyebrows rapidly a few times. He smiled when Beckett shook her head at that, and then said, "Okay, anything you want me to do with her before you come home?"

"Anything you'd like, you'll make sure she's safe," Beckett said, waving her hand as she took the finished coffee from him. She let their fingers briefly caress as he handed it to her, and she smiled at him saying, "See you at home," in a low voice. Walking out of the room, she called out, "Bye Castle."

Watching his fiancé walk back to her desk, Castle took a deep breath and left, checking the time. He was thinking so intently as he went into the elevator of what he could do with Julia while it was just them that he didn't see Lanie step out, or hear her tentative greeting.

Turning from the closed doors, Lanie shook her head and then walked over to her friend, standing next to her desk. "Hey," she said simply to Beckett's surprised look.

"What are you doing here?" she said finally.

"I'm wondering if we can talk, Perlmutter is doing the autopsy on your killer," Lanie said.

Standing up, Beckett nodded saying, "We can go to the break room," wondering what her friend wanted to talk about, since they were set; at least she thought they were. Closing the doors to give them a little privacy, she went to pour Lanie a cup of coffee before she sat down at the table with her. There was silence before she finally had to break it, wondering how that conversation would turn out as she began to speak.